Why everyone's talking about Peckham right now

Amanzoe

IN BRIEF

Ultra-modern treatments in the Peloponnese

THE LOWDOWN

You know you're staying somewhere special when you spot royalty eating at the next table. At Europe's most spa-savvy Aman it's not unusual to bump into the former king and queen of Greece, who live down the road in Porto Heli. And it's easy to see what keeps them coming back.

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If the ancient Greeks designed a city today, it would probably look like Amanzoe. Built as a hilltop acropolis of pale marble pavilions, it has stunning views of the Peloponnese's southern coast. There are miles of columned walkways, fir trees rising towards the sky, and flat roofs planted with lavender and sage. But once inside your vast private villa, notions of classical Greece give way to ultra-modern comfort: floor-to-ceiling vistas of sea and sky, baths sunk into the marble floor and a wraparound deck with a plunge pool.

You can have treatments in your room, but don't miss out on the wonderful 12,000ft spa set within a walled garden. Amanzoe's signature orange oil burns throughout - pick up a bottle in the boutique. Standout treatments include a honey-and-yogurt facial, which leaves skin incredibly soft, and a deeply calming watsu water massage.

The spa is constantly upping its game with new world-class specialists. This year master practitioner Toby Maguire will introduce acupuncture, tai chi and meditation, and Francesc Miralles will practise Traditional Chinese Medicine. There are also early-morning ashtanga and Pilates classes in the glass-walled yoga pavilion, and full-moon yoga sessions in the amphitheatre.

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Once purged, it's time for the evening's retox. Drinking a cocktail named after a god of Mount Olympus (the Dionysus includes honey, grapes and Champagne) as the fire-red sun drops over the horizon feels about as close to nirvana as we mortals ever get.